Leunig’s musings on paper

Written by Geelong Business News on 12 October 2017.

21 October – 4 November

Small moments of happiness and ponderings on the momentous, that’s what Michael Leunig’s work is to me. That, and the walls of my childhood best friend’s parent’s toilet, that were fully papered with newspaper cartoons and, in my memory at least, there was more Leunig that anything else. There were a lot of laughs in that loo …

There is a place in many of our hearts for the philosophical musings and gentle humour of Leunig, so much so that in 1999 he was declared a National Living Treasure by the National Trust.

Michael Leunig will be exhibiting Recent, Rare and Classic Works on Paper, including original drawings, paintings and etchings at Metropolis Gallery this October.

Michael will also talk about his art and philosophies on opening night Saturday 21 October.

Michael Leunig - Affinity

Gallery director, Robert Avitabile, says this is a rare exhibition for any gallery and he is proud to be able to bring Leunig and his work to Geelong.

“Like other Australians I’ve grown up with Leunig’s work in the media since the early 70s. I still have his first book ‘The Penguin Leunig’ among many others and I believe his straightforward outlook on life and nature has helped shape the way many people view the world.”

Leunig himself describes his approach as, ‘regressive, humorous, messy, mystical, primal and vaudevillian’ - producing work that is open to many interpretations and has been widely adapted in education, music, theatre, psychotherapy and spiritual life.

“It is a way of painting. It is a way of living and seeing. It is a heartfelt way of transcending the banal inhibited self and finding the primal, the light-hearted, the simple and the divine. It is a struggling and playful downward journey - this daring and devout pilgrimage to mature innocence and raw beauty: to the sublime joy and natural wisdom of the holy fool.” - Michael Leunig

Michael Leunig - Jonah and the Whale

Leunig has been awarded honorary degrees from La Trobe and Griffith universities and the Australian Catholic University for his unique contribution to Australian culture. His work appears regularly in the Melbourne Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. His prints, paintings and drawings have been exhibited broadly and are held in various public and private collections.